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By Carly Smith, Assistant Director, Career Education

Take the next 30 seconds to think of a reason why sending a thank you note is a bad idea.

How many reasons have you come up with? Probably very few or none at all. So here’s a little tip for you as you enter the world of interviewing: always send a thank you note after an interview. 

You might be thinking right now, “Yea, a thank you note is cute and a nice gesture, but is it that important?” The answer is yes, it is very important, and here are a few statistics that will show you why you are missing out if you’re not on the thank you note train, or you’re ahead of the game if you’ve been writing them. A survey done by CareerBuilder of hiring manager found these following statistics:

22% of employers are less likely to hire a candidate if they don’t send a thank you note after an interview. That is reason enough to me to send a thank you note, especially when I just put in all the time to prepare for the interview.

86% said that not sending a thank you shows a lack of follow through. I want employers to find me dependable from day one. To be honest, I probably mark dependability as one of my major strengths when I am interviewing anyway so why would I tarnish that reputation before even getting the job?

56% said it indicates that the candidate isn’t really serious about the position. If you made the time to interview for this organization, you probably have at least some interest in the role. Employers want to hire individuals who are interested and enthusiastic about the work that the company does. Sending a thank you note can show that.

Finally, 89% said that is okay to send a thank you in the form of an email, which is an amount I feel will continue to grow as more tech savvy generations enter the workplace and are put in hiring positions. When it comes to email vs. hand written note, I am of the mindset that time is of the essence. Make sure your thank you is received in 48 hours, and if you can hand write a note and have it quickly shipped to your interviewers within that time frame, then go right ahead.

To sum it up, thank you notes convey your interest, show that you are gracious that the interviewers spent time getting to know you, and a great way to leave a positive impression before the employers make their decision.

Final tip: Each person you interview with should get their own thank you note. A big group thank you is easier, but an individualized note can be personalized and seem more genuine.

Now it’s time for you to actually write the cover letter, so check out our letter writing guide online to get started.

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